As part of PRSA’s mission to advance the PR profession and the professional, we bring you our next Meet the Media Q+A profile. In this Q+A, we speak with Jordyn Dahl, Entrepreneurship Editor at LinkedIn News, to learn more about her work, how COVID-19 has impacted it and how she spends her free time. Oh, and don't forget to follow her on Twitter (@Jordyn_Dahl).

How did you end up in journalism? 

I fell into it a bit by chance. A friend of mine in college was a designer at the college newspaper and mentioned they were looking for some new reporters. I applied and learned on the job. It was the first thing in college that felt like a natural home for me, so I stuck with it and haven’t looked back.

Tell us about LinkedIn's newsroom. How big is the team and what are some of the beats/opportunities?

It’s far larger than you’d expect! We’re a global operation with more than 70 editors and still growing. In the U.S., we cover entrepreneurship (my beat), finance, marketing, frontline workers and job seekers, along with daily news that members need to know about. You’re probably most familiar with our work through the LinkedIn News module that is on the homepage in the right-hand corner or in the search bar in the mobile app. We also have a daily news show from the LinkedIn News page that broadcasts at 12 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

What are you currently covering? What do you enjoy covering the most? 

My beat recently expanded to include entrepreneurship in general. While my primary audience is U.S.-based, I also assist in covering our Canadian market and globally when there are stories that reverberate. I focus on new policies that impact the audience (things like PPP reform), digitalization of your business and how to compete and the globalization of our business world. My last stint before LinkedIn was at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, so I’m a policy wonk at heart and love diving into those issues.

What do you love about your job? 

Two things: The variety and talking to people/learning new things. I tend to overreport stories because I will go down the deepest of search rabbit holes, learning everything I can about a topic. I also get bored easily and like knowing that every week is going to be a little different and have new stories to tell. 

How do you like to work with PR professionals? How do you like to be pitched? 

I prefer to be pitched by email and work with PR professionals who I’ve either worked with and have a relationship with and/or have done their due diligence and know what I cover and have recently touched upon. Trust and a good track record is crucial to a symbiotic relationship, in my opinion.

Funniest/most memorable pitch you’ve received? 

I don’t remember the product or company (guess should tell you something) but the person emailed me twice, calling me John or something completely different from my actual name both times. I even responded to the first email letting them know they had the wrong person. I was a bit peeved but mostly entertained that they couldn’t bother to get my name right on either occasion.

We all love a good story. How do you find your stories? What stories are you currently looking for?

Good, old fashioned shoe-and-leather reporting! I talk to our members about what they’re experiencing and keep a pulse on national trends, looking for the ways in which they could impact entrepreneurs. I’m looking for articles written by entrepreneurs that is part of a new series I launched at the start of the year called Business Reimagined. The series is business owners’ stories of their challenges and how they overcame them with the goal of connecting owners with one another.

Moving forward, I’ll be covering the return to work and what that looks like in all corners of the country.

What are some trends you’re seeing in the media industry? Any suggestions to improve it?

An increase in reporters interacting with their audiences much like we do at LinkedIn News. I’ve started seeing calls to action crop up at the bottom of articles, seeking readers to answer questions or get in touch with their own stories.

How has COVID-19 impacted the way you report and your stories? What advice would you have to PR professionals during this time? 

COVID-19 lit a fire under the coverage I was already doing. I was exclusively covering small businesses and took a public service approach to the beat and that became even more important after the pandemic hit. Entrepreneurs are busier than ever and struggling – they need fast news and resources and that is what I strive to give them.

My advice is look at the overarching trends and how your studies/clients fit into them. If you’re emailing me to pitch a guest because you saw I’m doing a show or had a newsletter that focused on that topic, it’s too late.

What do you do for fun? 

I’m big into the outdoors so I spend my weekends exploring hiking trails or going for an outdoor drink (I’m a sucker for a beer garden). I also read a lot and have gotten into puzzling over the pandemic, which has been surprisingly soothing!